FAQ

How are you doing?

This is the first question most people ask me when they see me, so much that it's begun to become a bit of an annoyance, and part of the reason I created this blog. My answer to this is usually "the same." This means that I still have pain. I have good days and bad days, but it never goes away. Sometimes I can spend half a day walking around the city, and sometimes I have to lay with ice and load up on pain pills and will still be in excruciating pain. It never goes away completely though.


What's wrong with you? 

I have chronic costochondritis. I describe it in this blog post.


What does it feel like?

Stabbing pain in my lower ribs, on both sides of my body, in my front and back. On bad days it extends to my whole rib cage.


What hurts?

It hurts for me to sit for any length of time due to the compression, to lift, push or carry anything, to take deep breaths, and to do pretty much any sort of exercise or activity aside from walking slowly. Also, it hurts to get hugged tightly.


Compression? Does it help to do this [lifts hands over head]?

Uh, yeah? When I was in a lot of pain after getting intercostal nerve blocks, laying down with my hand over my head was the position with which I had the least amount of pain.


What helps?

Laying down, using a heating pad, putting ice on my ribs. Tylenol #3 with Codeine helps the pain a tiny bit, as does using a TENS unit. The only type of medication I've tried that's given me significant relief is high-CBD medical marijuana. See this post for more info.


You should try ________. 

I probably already have! Here's a list of all the treatments and medications I've tried thus far, as well as the types of doctors I've seen and tests I've had done. I continue to work with specialists, and have alternate options I plan on trying if the current treatment I'm trying doesn't work. I get a lot of different advice from a lot of people, and have consulted with some of the top doctors in the country. Having a condition that there is no known treatment for is an incredibly frustrating and emotionally taxing ordeal, so it would help my mental health a lot if people would refrain from giving me medical advice unless they are a trained medical professional or have first-hand experience with costochondritis. I know you have the best intentions and are coming from a place of love, but I've probably already heard your suggestion many times and need to keep these conversations between me and my doctors for my own sanity.


Can you work?

The only type of work I can currently do is part-time work from home. I'm able to come in for meetings every once in awhile but mostly need to be home with access to a place to lie down with ice or a heating pad. I can do stuff like research, writing, editing and consulting. If you have any work like that, take a look at my website and hire me!


What do you do all day?

We got a kitty named Nero who I hang out with a lot, and I like to garden and take (slow) walks. I post pictures and videos of all these things on my Instagram. I also have physical therapy exercises I do from home, and always have some sort of creative project I'm working on.